International Relations
The international relations major offers preparation for those wanting active participation in any number of professional venues in the international community.
Full Description and Degree Requirements (PDF)
The International Relations (IR) Program at Lynchburg College is a multi-disciplinary major that encourages students to transcend disciplinary, cultural, and ideological boundaries. To complete the degree, students take courses in a variety of programs. Academic disciplines currently represented in the program include: Economics, History, Modern Languages, Political Science, Religion, and Sociology. The IR Program is comprised of a core of common courses that all students take, a geographic concentration, and nine hours of electives.
Students also complete an additional three-hour intermediate-level course in a modern language beyond Lynchburg College’s general education requirement, with many IR majors continuing their language studies through the completion of either a minor or a second major in a foreign language. Advanced language study together with the multi-disciplinary nature of the degree prepares students for the possibility of studying abroad, an option that many IR majors pursue prior to graduation.
Another special feature of the IR major is the unique experiential learning opportunities offered to students in the program. IR majors are strongly advised to participate in an inter-collegiate simulation of either the European Union’s primary decision-making bodies or the major institutions of the United Nations. These experiential exercises enable students to test their learning beyond the bounds of the traditional four-wall classroom. Traditional in-class learning becomes ever more powerful when it is paired with relevant co-curricular learning such as studying abroad and the European Union and Model United Nations simulations. Lynchburg College has made a commitment to provide its International Relations students with the opportunities to help them become successful global citizens in this ever-changing world.
